Imps
Imps (天邪鬼, amanojaku) are the first kind of enemy encountered in Okami. They come in 5 varieities: Green Imps, Red Imps, Yellow Imps, Blue Imps and Black Imps. They are regularly encountered in Shinshu Field, Agata Forest, Tsuta Ruins, Taka Pass, the Gale Shrine, the Moon Cave and the City Checkpoint. Background Imps are followers of Orochi and are seen as cheeky and monkey-like musicians. For the most common types of Imps listed below, their masks display katakana symbols that rank their power according to the first line of the archaic "Iroha" poetic sequence: i ro ha ni ho he to chi ri nu ru wo (etc.) The gatekeeper in the Moon Cave's sub-basement has the katakana チ for the syllable "chi", beginning the second line of the poem. The other non-combatant imps have the katakana リ for the syllable "ri" except for the merchants, who have the kanji 品 meaning "merchandise". Amaterasu meets the first merchant imp in the mid/upper levels of the Moon Cave; like all the imps encountered outside of the demon scrolls, the merchant is fooled by her mask into thinking she is a fellow imp. The same is true of the merchant imp at the top level of the Moon Cave, where Ammy can do some last-minute shopping before confronting Orochi. Two more merchant imps appear in two later dungeons: Oni Island and Wawku Shrine. Without her paper mask, they instantly recognize her as the sun god and make a short speech about being unafraid and willing to do battle, a "battle" consisting of normal sales interactions. Since two of these areas are single-tour dungeons, it's unknown what became of these imps afterward or if they were destroyed with their respective residences, although the artbook shows an image of most of the game's merchants having a banquet together. The imps make one final appearance during the end credits when Amaterasu strolls by a benign band of imp musicians partying (mimicking the group of imps in Hana Valley during the game). Green Imp Green Imps are the first kind of Imp found in Okami. They are first encountered in the River of the Heavens. They are very weak and have little health. They wield flutes and can project them a short distance to attack Amaterasu. They can also attack with slaps. They are more nimble than the other classes but are very easy to dispatch. Red Imp Red Imps are the second kind of Imp. They are first encountered in Kamiki Village. They are basically the same as the Green Imp but instead wield shamisen. They can throw these shamisens at Amaterasu to attack or use the same slap attack as Green Imps. If they take enough damage, or if Power Slash is used on them, they will use the lute as a shield to defend themselves and whatever is behind them. The shamisen is invulnerable to all attacks except Power Slash, which must be used to destroy it. The Imp will then be vulnerable. The shamisen can also be destroyed when the Imp throws it by using Power Slash to destroy it in mid-air. Alternatively, once more powerful Divine Instruments or Celestial Brush Techniques are obtained, the Imp can be killed before it can raise its shamisen. Yellow Imp Yellow Imps are the third type of Imp encountered. They are first encountered in Hana Valley. They are completely different from all the other classes. They use their drums to drill into the ground, then bring their head, arms and drum up and attack by drumming to produce a shockwave. They are only vulnerable when they pop up again; while they are drilling or underground they are invincible. The best solution is to quickly get behind them before they have emerged when they pop up, which will stun them. They can then be hit, which will cause them to completely emerge and either go back underground or use their drum to fire a short-ranged explosion. After they fire the explosion, they will be stunned again, which is another opportunity to attack. If Amaterasu is not behind the Imp when it emerges, blinding the Imp by covering it with ink (by scirbbling on it) will also cause it to completely emerge, although it will strike blindly with its hands until it clears the ink. They are invulnerable to Power Slash unless they are stunned, although it will do them significant damage. They have more health than Red Imps and Green Imps, though, so they will take more time to defeat. Blue Imp Blue Imps are the fourth kind of Imp encountered. They are first ecnountered in Kusa Village. They fly around on paper gliders and have only one attack, shooting blue projectiles from a flute in their mouths. They will crash if Power Slash or Galestorm is used on them, making them easier to attack. When they crash, they will get their head caught in the ground and will be immobile while they are trying to free it. However, once free, they will immediately become airborne by producing new kites. Their health is on par with Yellow Imps, but they are more vulnerable to attack. Black Imp Black Imps are the last and most powerful type of Imp. They are first encountered in the Moon Cave's Calcified Cavern. They are surrounded by the skulls of their previous victims, and use them to attack. The skulls fire laser beams which, due to their numbers, can be difficult to dodge. It is better to destroy the skulls with Power Slash, which will stun the imp.The Black Imp can also use the green and red imp's slap attack, but is actually pretty much defenseless without its skulls. Its health is superior to all the other Imp classes, but by the time it first appears, Amaterasu's equipment should be potent enough to destroy it. Gallery Merch imp.jpg|A merchant imp. Category:Enemies Category:Species Category:Imps